Seam closure using magnetic fasteners

ABSTRACT

An improved adaptive garment has a shoulder seam closure of (1) a first panel containing one or more magnetic fasteners or a magnetic strip of a positive or negative polarity, and (2) a second panel containing one or more magnetic fasteners or a magnetic strip of opposite polarity. The magnetic elements of the first and second panels are attracted and attach to each other, such that the second panel overlaps the first panel and closes the shoulder seam. This improved adaptive garment permits those with limited dexterity or mobility, youngsters, or those with disabilities and/or other health conditions get dressed more easily and quickly, with or without the assistance of others. This shoulder seam closure further permits the adaptive garment not to use a back seam closure of magnetic fasteners, thereby eliminating their pressure against the wearer&#39;s back and the discomfort, pain or irritation they might cause, and permitting to contain a back vent or pleat.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION FOR WHICH A PRIORITY BENEFIT IS CLAIMED UNDER 35 U.S.C. § 119

The present patent application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/571,651, filed Oct. 12, 2017, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to shirts, blouses, and other tops having at least one seam closure, especially at least one shoulder seam closure, using one or more magnetic fasteners.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Shirts, blouses and other tops have openings located in various places, for example, the front, the back, the sleeve, the shoulder and the cuff, which are typically closed by conventional buttons and zippers.

Recently, the apparel industry has recognized the need to develop and design adaptive clothing for persons with disabilities, limited dexterity or limited mobility, and youngsters, including those who have great difficulty using a conventional zipper or buttons. Accordingly, the apparel industry has now begun to use alternative closures, such as snap fasteners, hook and loop fasteners (for example, those sold under the Velcro® brand) and magnetic fasteners, in place of conventional buttons and zippers. For example, these alternative closures may be placed in the back opening of a blouse. The alternative closures are intended to make it easier for the disabled (or their caregivers) to put on and take off clothing, provide confidence and self-esteem, and allow the wearer to get dressed more quickly.

Nevertheless, when these alternative closures are used on shirts, blouses and other tops, problems still exist. For example, like conventional buttons and zippers, snap fasteners and hook and loop fasteners may still be too difficult to fasten or unfasten, especially if the wearer has limited hand dexterity caused by, for example, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, pervasion developmental disorders, Down's syndrome, ataxia, diabetes with neuropathy, stroke (CVA), paraplegics, Lou Gehrig's disease, Parkinson's disease or head injury. And although magnetic fasteners tend to be easier to fasten and unfasten than snap fasteners and hook and loop fasteners, they are bulkier, harder and heavier, and in certain cases can press against the wearer causing pain, discomfort or irritation.

For example, when magnetic fasteners are used to close a back opening in a shirt, blouse, or hospital gown, and the wearer of that garment sits in a chair or a wheelchair having a firm or hard back, the magnetic fasteners tends to press against the wearer's back. Over time (and a disabled person may be sitting in the chair or wheelchair for a substantial time), the pressure of the magnetic fasteners against the back is likely to cause the wearer discomfort, pain or irritation. This problem may be exacerbated if the wearer has neuralgia, neuropathy or otherwise is sensitive to the pressure caused by the magnetic fasteners.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of the invention is to provide an improved adaptive garment, in particular, an adaptive shirt, blouse or other top, which is not only easy to put on and take off, but also maintains a high level of comfort, wearability and style.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved adaptive garment for those with limited dexterity or mobility, youngsters, or those with disabilities and/or other health conditions. Accordingly, the adaptive garment of the present invention may allow an individual to get dressed more easily and quickly, with or without the assistance of others.

According to one aspect of the invention, an adaptive garment is provided with a seam closure using one or more magnetic fasteners or magnetic strip. In another aspect of the invention, this seam closure is a shoulder seam closure, which opens into two clothing panels. The edge of each clothing panel contains one or more magnetic fasteners or a magnetic strip as the closure.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, the shoulder seam closure using one or more magnetic fasteners or magnetic strip may be covered, for example, by buttons, a zipper or an epaulette, to make it appear to be a conventional garment.

According to a further aspect of the invention, in addition to a shoulder seam closure using magnetic fasteners, the adaptive garment also has a back vent that provides further ease in dressing and more comfort.

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred but not exclusive embodiments of the shoulder seam closure, illustrated only by way of the following non-limiting examples and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A depicts an opened shoulder seam containing a closure in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, wherein the closure comprises one or more pairs of individual magnetic fasteners.

FIG. 1B depicts an opened shoulder seam containing a closure in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the closure comprises magnetic strips.

FIG. 2A depicts a fastened shoulder seam of the present invention in accordance with the closures shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B.

In accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2B depicts a fastened shoulder seam closure covered by conventional buttons.

FIG. 3 depicts a portion of a shirt or blouse sans sleeves (or a vest), with two shoulder seam closures in accordance with the present invention, the one on the reader's left being closed and the one on the reader's right being opened.

In accordance with a yet another embodiment of the invention, FIG. 4A depicts a shirt or blouse with a shoulder seam closure and one style of back vent, while FIG. 4B depicts a shirt or blouse with a shoulder seam closure and another style of back vent.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As generally used herein, the adaptive garment of the present invention may refer to but is not limited to a shirt, a dress, a gown, dress shirt, polo shirt, camp shirt, Henley shirt, Charvet shirt, t-shirt, half shirt, singlet, blouse, sweater, cardigan, jumper, vest, tunic, jersey, coat, nightshirt, nightgown, hospital gown, or onesie, either with sleeves of varying lengths or no sleeves, and with or without a collar. The adaptive garment in accordance with the invention may be designed for men, women, children and/or be a unisex design. The adaptive garment merely needs to have at least one shoulder seam, which typically runs from the neckline to the armhole.

FIGS. 1A and 3 depict an adaptive garment (100) in accordance one embodiment of the present invention. The adaptive garment (100) has at least one shoulder seam closure comprising one or more pairs of magnetic fasteners (125, 130). The shoulder seam closure of FIG. 1A is in the open position, and separated into a first panel (115) and a second panel (120). The first and second panels are generally parallel to each other so when they are closed they will form a shoulder seam (as shown in FIG. 2A), and each is generally perpendicular to an armhole (or if present, sleeve seam) (110) and a neckline (or if present, neck seam) (105).

The edge of the first panel (115) contains one or more magnetic fasteners (125) with connecting sides of either positive or negative polarity, and the edge of the second panel (120) contains one or more magnetic fasteners (130) with connecting sides of the opposite polarity, in corresponding positions along the panel edges so as to form pairs. Each pair contains one magnetic fastener with a connecting side of positive polarity and another magnetic fastener with a connecting side of negative polarity, so the two connecting sides in the pair will attract and attach to each other (though the cloth of the panels) when brought in close proximity, thereby closing the opening and forming a shoulder seam.

In this embodiment, each of the first and second panels preferably have about 1 to about 10 pairs of magnetic fasteners, more preferably about 2 to about 6 pairs of magnetic fasteners, and even more preferably about 3 to 4 pairs of magnetic fasteners. The shoulder seam closure shown in FIG. 1A contains three pairs of magnetic fasteners correspondingly positioned along the edges of the first and second panels. However, a different number of pairs can be used.

The number of magnetic fastener pairs used to form the shoulder seam closure depends upon a number of factors, for example, (1) the length of the opening (e.g., a longer opening may result in the use of more pairs than a shorter opening); (2) the length or diameter of each magnetic fastener (e.g., longer magnetic fasteners may result in the use of fewer pairs than shorter magnetic fasteners); (3) the spacing between each magnetic fastener pair along the length of each panel (e.g., the greater the spacing between pairs may result in the use of fewer pairs); and (4) and the offset between the magnetic fastener at the left edge of each panel and at the right edge of each panel (e.g., the greater the offset may result in the use of fewer pairs). The length of the opening may also depend on the type, size and style of the garment.

The magnet fastener pair (125S, 130S) closest to the armhole or sleeve seam (110) is preferably positioned between approximately ¼ and 1 inch from the armhole or sleeve seam, more preferably approximately ¼ inch therefrom, and even more preferably, approximately ½ inch therefrom.

The magnet fastener pair (125N, 130N) closest to the neckline or neck seam (105) is preferably positioned between approximately 1/16 and 1 inch from the neckline or neck seam, more preferably approximately ¼ inch therefrom, and even more preferably, approximately 1/16 inch therefrom.

Each magnetic fastener typically comprises a magnet (e.g. round, square, annular, oval or other shape) and a back plate. The magnet may be any material which creates a magnetic field, including but not limited to composites, magnetic metallic elements, rare-earth magnets and combinations thereof. A back plate may be made of copper or zinc (or both), or other non-magnetic or weakly-magnetic metals or materials, by themselves or combinations with other metals (including ferromagnetic materials such as iron). A back plate is attached to non-connecting side of the magnet (e.g., the negative side when the connecting side is positive or the positive side when the connecting side is negative) to reduce the amount of magnetic flux emanating behind the back plate. This flux reduction helps to reduce the adaptive apparel from being magnetically attracted to other metals, especially the inside of a washer or dryer during laundering. A non- or weakly-magnetic back plate may be attached to the magnet by glue or other adhesive, and a ferromagnetic black plate will magnetically attach to the magnet.

Each magnetic fastener is preferably encapsulated in a plastic, rubberized or waterproofed-cloth pouch, which is sewn in, glued to or otherwise attached to a placket, flap or pocket at the edge of each panel. The panel edge may comprise two layers of fabric sewn, glued or otherwise attached to each other to form the pouch or pocket. Alternatively, the fabric at the panel edge may be folded and sewn, glued or otherwise attached to itself to create the pouch or pocket. For each pair, the positive magnetic fastener is attached to the first panel and the negative magnetic fastener is attached to the second panel so their connecting sides, with opposite polarities, can face each other. When the first and second panels are brought together, the connecting sides face each other and magnetically attract and attach to each other, thereby closing the two panels. As explained above, multiple pairs of magnetic fasteners may be used along the length of the first and second panels to provide full closure.

By moving the alternative closure from the back seam to one or both of the shoulder seams, its weight is preferably supported by the user's shoulders, and moreover, the magnetic fasteners will not press against the wearer's back when he or she is sitting in a firm or hard chair (or wheelchair) and cause the wearer pain, discomfort or irritation. Moreover, since the length of the shoulder seam closure is likely to be less than the length of the back seam closure, fewer magnetic fasteners are required, further increasing the garment's comfort and decreasing its cost. The shoulder seam closure is also more easily accessed than a back seam closure, thus making it easier to open and close.

The use of the magnetic fasteners or strip allows the wearer to put on or take off the garment more easily and quickly, as compared to a garment (1) without any shoulder opening or (2) with a shoulder opening employing conventional buttons or zippers to close it. The adaptive garment of the present invention also provides the wearer with greater comfort than one using a back opening closed by magnetic fasteners, as there is no pressure against wearer's back caused by the magnetic fasteners, for example, when the wearer sits in a chair or wheelchair with a firm or hard back.

FIG. 1B depicts adaptive garment (100) in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Similar to FIG. 1A, the shoulder seam closure of FIG. 1B also comprises a first panel (115) and a second panel (120). Instead of magnetic fastener pairs, the edges of the first and second panels each contain a magnetic strip (135, 140) having connecting sides of opposing polarity. A magnetic strip with a positive connecting side may be attached to the first panel and a magnetic strip with a negative connecting side may be attached to the second panel (or vice versa) so their connecting sides with opposite polarities can face each other. When the panels are brought together, the connecting sides of the magnetic fasteners face and magnetically attract and attach to each other (through the panel cloth), thereby closing the two panels.

The magnetic strip is preferably encapsulated in a plastic, rubberized or waterproofed-cloth pouch, and is sewn in, glued to or otherwise attached to a placket, flap or pocket along the length of each panel, in similar fashion to the magnetic fasteners described previously. The magnetic strip may comprise magnetic fasteners, magnets, a magnetic sheet, a magnetic roll, magnetic tape or other flexible magnetic products, or combinations thereof.

One edge of the magnetic strip (135, 140) is preferably positioned approximately between ¼ inch and 1 inch from the armhole or sleeve seam (110), and more preferably, ¼ inch therefrom, and even more preferably, approximately ½ inch therefrom. The other edge of the magnetic strip (135, 140) is preferably positioned approximately between 1/16 inch and 1 inch from the neckline or neck seam (105), more preferably approximately ¼ inch therefrom, and even more preferably, approximately 1/16 inches therefrom.

FIG. 2A depicts the adaptive garment (100) in accordance with the present invention with the shoulder seam closure (205) fastened. The shoulder seam closure (205) is fastened when the first panel is connected to the second panel, via the magnetic fasteners or strip described above, such that the second panel overlaps and covers the first panel.

In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, the shoulder seam closure using one or more magnetic fasteners or magnetic strip may be covered with decorative elements, for example, by buttons, a zipper track, or an epaulette, to make it appear to be a conventional garment. This permits the adaptive garment to be stylish and the use of magnetic fasteners or magnetic strip in the shoulder seam closure to be more discrete. This helps prevent the wearer to be embarrassed by the presence of the alternative closures and also helps give the wearer confidence, self-esteem and style.

For example, FIG. 2B depicts an adaptive garment (100) with the shoulder seam closure (205) fastened. Preferably the shoulder seam closure (205) is adorned with decorative buttons (210). Other decorative elements may include ribbons, charms, ruffles, fringe, zipper tracks, pins, epaulettes and combinations thereof. The decorative elements may be affixed to the shoulder seam closure (205) by any means, including but not limited to glue, stitching, tape, or magnetism.

In one embodiment, the inventive shoulder seam closure as described herein is positioned on each shoulder seam of a shirt as shown in FIG. 3. In another embodiment, the inventive shoulder seam closure as described herein is positioned on only one shoulder seam of a shirt.

According to yet another aspect of the invention shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, in addition to the inventive shoulder seam closure, the adaptive garment may also have a back vent (405) that provides further ease in dressing and more comfort. A centrally located back vent is made possible, for example, by not using a back seam closure of magnetic fasteners. FIG. 4A shows one style of back vent (inverted pleat), and FIG. 4B shows another style of back vent (center box pleat). Generally speaking, the back vent may comprise rear side or knife pleats, inverted pleat, center box pleat, or other vertical slits or pleats which not only increase the ease of movement, but also make putting on and taking off the adaptive garment easier.

While preferred embodiments have been described, it is evident that many additional modifications, variations or alternatives are apparent to the skilled artisan. The present application intends to embrace all of such modifications, variations or alternatives which fall within the scope of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An adaptive garment comprising a shoulder seam closure comprising: a first panel, wherein the first panel contains at least one first magnetic element; and a second panel, wherein the second panel contains at least one second magnetic element; wherein the first magnetic element is attracted and attaches to the second magnetic element such that the second panel overlaps the first panel and closes the shoulder seam.
 2. The adaptive garment of claim 1, wherein the at least one first magnetic element is magnetic fastener having a connecting side of positive or negative polarity, and the at least one second magnetic element is a magnetic fastener having a connecting side of the opposite polarity, thereby forming at least one pair of magnetic fasteners.
 3. The adaptive garment of claim 1, wherein the at least one first magnetic element is magnetic strip having a connecting side of positive or negative polarity, and the at least one second magnetic element is a magnetic strip having a connecting side of the opposite polarity.
 4. The adaptive garment of claim 3, wherein the magnetic strip is selected from a group consisting of magnetic fasteners, magnets, a magnetic sheet, a magnetic roll, magnetic tape or other flexible magnetic product, or combinations thereof.
 5. The adaptive garment of claim 1, further comprising a back vent.
 6. The adaptive garment of claim 5, where the back vent is selected from a group consisting of a pleat, a vertical slit, a rear side pleat, a knife pleat, an inverted pleat and a center box pleat.
 7. The adaptive garment of claim 1, wherein the shoulder seam closure further comprises decorative elements.
 8. The adaptive garment of claim 7, where the decorative elements are selected from a group consisting of buttons, ribbons, charms, ruffles, fringe, zipper tracks, pins, epaulettes, and combinations thereof.
 9. The adaptive garment of claim 1, without a back seam closure containing one or more pairs of magnetic fasteners or a magnetic strip.
 10. The adaptive garment of claim 2, comprising two or more pairs of magnetic fasteners.
 11. The adaptive garment of claim 10, wherein the pair of magnetic fasteners closest to an armhole or sleeve seam of the adaptive garment is positioned approximately between ¼ inch and 1 inch therefrom, and wherein the pair of magnetic fasteners closest to a neckline or neck seam of the adaptive garment is positioned approximately between 1/16 inch and 1 inch therefrom.
 11. The adaptive garment of claim 3, wherein one edge of the magnetic strip is positioned approximately between ¼ inch and 1 inch from an armhole or sleeve seam of the adaptive garment, and the other edge of the magnetic strip is positioned approximately between 1/16 inch and 1 inch from a neckline or neck seam of the adaptive garment.
 12. The adaptive garment of claim 1, wherein the adaptive garment is selected from a group consisting of a shirt, dress shirt, polo shirt, camp shirt, Henley shirt, Charvet shirt, t-shirt, half shirt, singlet, blouse, sweater, cardigan, jumper, vest, tunic, jersey, coat, nightshirt, nightgown, hospital gown and onesie.
 13. The adaptive garment of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one first and second magnetic elements are encapsulated in a plastic, rubberized or waterproofed-cloth pouch.
 14. The adaptive garment of claim 13, wherein the plastic, rubberized or waterproofed-cloth pouch is sewn in, glued to or otherwise attached to a placket, flap or pocket at the edge of each first and second panel.
 15. An adaptive garment having a seam closure comprising: a first panel containing at least three first magnetic fasteners with connecting sides of one polarity, wherein each first magnetic fastener is separated by about ½ inch; and a second panel containing at least three second magnetic fasteners with connecting sides of the opposite polarity, wherein each second magnetic fastener is separated by about ½ inch, and the first and second magnetic fasteners form at least three pairs of magnetic fasteners correspondingly positioned in the first and second panels; wherein one pair of magnetic fasteners is positioned at least ½ inch from one end of the seam closure; wherein another pair of magnetic fasteners is positioned at least 1/16 inch from the other end of the seam closure; wherein the connecting sides of the first magnetic fasteners are attracted and attach to the respective connecting sides of the second magnetic fasteners, such that the second panel overlaps the first panel and closes the seam.
 16. An adaptive garment according to claim 15, wherein the seam closure is a shoulder seam closure.
 17. The adaptive garment of claim 15, wherein the first and second magnetic fasteners are encapsulated in a plastic, rubberized or waterproofed-cloth pouches.
 18. The adaptive garment of claim 17, wherein the plastic, rubberized or waterproofed-cloth pouches are sewn in, glued to or otherwise attached to a placket, flap or pocket at the edge of each first and second panel. 